Veteran musher official portrait at musher meeting March 1 2018
Photo by Jeff Schultz/SchultzPhoto.com (C) 2018 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Veteran musher Zoya DeNure (bib #42) of Delta Junction, Alaska, withdrew from the Iditarod XLVIII at noon on Sunday, March 8, 2020, due to personal health reasons. Her husband and fellow long-distance musher, John Schandelmeier, will be racing her team in her stead. Race Marshal Mark Nordman made the decision to allow the substitution in the best interest of the members of her race team, who have been training all year for this opportunity. Schandelmeier is a two-time Yukon Quest champion and competed in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1993, as well as other races throughout the years. According to rule #4 of the Iditarod race rules, “substitute drivers will be allowed only in cases of emergency and only if approved by the Race Marshal prior to the restart of the race.” Schandelmeier is considered a rookie in this year’s race.